In Hanceville, a small city in Alabama’s Cullman County, the local police department has been placed on administrative leave after a grand jury accused officers of operating more like a criminal organization than a law enforcement agency. The grand jury also ordered the immediate disbandment of the department. In the meantime, the Cullman County Sheriff’s Department has stepped in to assume temporary law enforcement duties, Mayor Jim Sawyer confirmed.
The investigation into the department’s activities began when dispatcher Christopher Michael Willingham was found dead in his office. Willingham, who managed communications and coordinated emergency responses, also had access to the evidence room and controlled substances, which are tightly regulated under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act. An autopsy later revealed that Willingham had died from a combination of fentanyl and other drugs.
“I insisted that the State Bureau of Investigation be called in to look into everything happening in Hanceville after the dispatcher’s death in August 2024,” said Champ Crocker, the district attorney for Cullman County.
The investigation led to the indictment of the Hanceville police chief, four officers, and the wife of one of the officers. They stand accused of mishandling and removing items from the department’s evidence room, including controlled substances. The indictment alleges that the officers were involved in a range of criminal activities, including the misuse of state criminal databases and the improper handling of materials that could have served as evidence but were rendered inadmissible due to mishandling.
The Hanceville City Council is scheduled to meet on February 27 to discuss the future of the embattled police department, according to Mayor Sawyer.
